In this blog I will be giving my political opinions on both issues at home and abroad.
I will also focus on the issues that affect the people of Ipswich and in particular those who live in Rushmere Ward.
I will also try and give an insight to how I will be campaigning in Rushmere and Ipswich as we fight against the savage cuts imposed by this Tory Government

Sunday, 21 August 2016

I will be voting for Owen Smith to be leader of the Labour Party

I
will be voting for Owen Smith this to be the new leader of the Labour Party, I
hope and believe Owen can win but if he does not I expect to be campaigning again
in either 2017 or 2018 for someone to replace Jeremy Corbyn.

For
saying that I expect to be attacked by some from the Far Left, from Corbynistas
who can’t seem to accept any criticism of Jeremy Corbyn. I will be accused of
lacking loyalty, of ignoring the wishes of members, for attacking democracy. I was selected to be the candidate for
Rushmere Ward and then I was elected by the constituents not as a delegate
but as a representative. I am not delegated to vote this way or that by the
membership of the Labour Party nor by my electorate. But they have asked me to represent
them and I hope that I make the right decisions on their behalf.

The only whip I follow is the Labour whip on
Ipswich Borough Council, a whip that I have never broken. Compare that with the
voting history of Jeremy Corbyn – voted with the Tories hundreds of times,
voted against the whip hundreds of times, campaigned against every elected Labour leader since he became an MP –
a man who since he has become leader has still not stuck to Labour policy –
please do not lecture me on loyalty.

Over
the past 12 months I have knocked on
hundreds if not thousands of doors, I have telephone canvassed hundreds of constituents
and attended many meetings and community events using every opportunity to talk
to voters. The consistent answer I receive from voters in Rushmere and across
Ipswich is they will not vote for a Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn. We have
had those switch to us from the Green Party and some Labour voters have now joined
the party but for every one who has switched, we have lost three or four others.
There is no way that we can win the Ipswich parliamentary constituency whilst
Jeremy Corbyn remains leader. The vote is simply not there, we will also be in
danger of losing our seats on Suffolk County Council and maybe even in the long
term, control of Ipswich

There
is also the baggage Corbyn brings with him, the historical pictures of him with
IRA members, his quotes in support of Hamas and Putin and then there is his
work for Iranian TV and his senior roles in the anti West organisation – ‘Stop
the War’.

But
I am even more concerned about some of his friends – Momentum, former Militant
and Socialist Party members – now I am happy that some of those will have moved slightly to the right and they should be welcomed back but we are on about some
of them returning and taking senior roles in CLPs with little evidence that
their views have changed one iota since they returned.

What
is the betting that a Corbyn win will see the return of Galloway, Hatton and
maybe even Livingstone returning to a role that will see him involved in
setting Labour policy?

I
expect a Corbyn win will see McDonnell and Momentum then use their supporters on the NEC to
change the rules so that the left will always have a candidate on any future
leadership ballots.

Some
of my friends, colleagues and comrades will vote for Corbyn – please open your
eyes, open your ears the abuse that members like myself are already receiving
will not stop, voters will not return, idiots like Galloway will be welcomed
back and another year of Corbyn could see the end of this great party that we
support.

A
large number of members want Corbyn to win, party democracy is important, members
do need to have more of a say in party policy – some may say a victory for
Corbyn will give members more power but what is certain is that a vote for
Corbyn will leave millions of Labour voters without a voice, it will leave
millions of us left powerless under a right wing Tory Government.

Please
think hard before you vote and then if you can, join me and vote for Owen - a vote that will not only help
save the Labour Party but will give millions of Labour voters a chance of a
Labour Government.

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About Me

I am 55 and married with two children, I stood for the Labour Party in the Rushmere Ward in Ipswich at 2006 and 2007 local elections and then won it for Labour on May 1st 2008 with a majority of 13 before retaining the seat in 2012 with a majority of over 500. I retaining the seat again in 2016.
I live in the ward and I was born in Ipswich and both my parents (Annie and Peter Ross) were Labour councillors in Ipswich.
I went to Tower Ramparts School in the town (Yes, it was a school before it became a shopping centre!)
In 1978, I left Ipswich to join the army. I spent 24 years in the Royal Green Jackets, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosova.
Since leaving the army in 2002, I have worked in a local school.
I spent 2009 back with the army, 7 months in Sangin, Afghanistan as Operations Warrant Officer with 2 Rifles.
I am the campaign organisor in Rushmere
Sport is my other great interest and I was one of the founding members of the Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust.